"No matter what your life plan is, no matter what your project, a close reading of the life and thoughts of Daigo will give you deep insight into how to be successful and help you reach your goals."—Frank Lantz, Director, NYU Game Center
"When Daigo wins, he does not simply elevate his own status, he elevates the entire genre alongside him. Through his play, and through his approach to life, Daigo changes the way people think about the game, and inspires even his enemies to new heights. This is what separates a mere winner from an all-time great."—Seth Killian, Lead Game Designer at Riot Games
"Daigo and I started an international journey to showcase Street Fighter competition in 1998. Today, he is the Grand Master of fighting games and true inspiration to players worldwide.”—Alex Valle, CaliPower, Mr. Street Fighter
“It’s almost impossible to overstate the significance of The Beast for the practice and culture of gaming; as Bruce Lee was for the Martial Arts, so Daigo Umehara is for Fighting Games.”—Prof. Chris Goto-Jones, Professor of Comparative Philosophy & Political Thought, Leiden University"I’m a professional fighting gamer. I was first crowned World Champion at seventeen in 1998, and I was recognized as “the most successful player in major tournaments of Street Fighter” by Guinness World Records in August 2010.
This is my chance to tell you how I became World Champion and share insights as only a multiple time World Champion can. What does it take to win? Why do so many eventually lose their edge? Let me share with you the professional skills necessary to become World Champion and keep winning. These skills will certainly help you to advance, in both the world of eSports and beyond."—Daigo "The Beast" Umehara
In Daigo “The Beast” Umehara’s first book, the most successful Street Fighter player in history reveals the secrets of becoming-and remaining-a world champion.
Daigo’s story of passion and perseverance offers seasoned pros and non-gamers alike an intensely personal view into the world of competitive video gaming, or eSports, starting from years before the term existed.
Follow Daigo on his road to pro, beginning with his childhood love of games, his search for communi-ty in the arcades, and his first international victory at age 17 in the 1998 Street Fighter Alpha 3 World Championships against American champion Alex Valle.
Get an insider’s account of “EVO Moment #37: The Beast Is Unleashed,” the most famous comeback in fighting game history, against long-time rival Justin Wong in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
Hear the real story behind Daigo’s mysterious disappearance from the fighting game scene and detour into the mahjong world, his personal low point, and his triumphant return from retirement in the 2009 EVO Street Fighter IV Grand Finals.
Be Like Ryu: Learn from Daigo’s mix of stoic dedication, love for the game, and practice practice practice, as the Japanese master describes how to stay on top while constantly evolving, avoiding complacency, and seeking out new challenges.
About the AuthorDAIGO "The Beast" UMEHARA
(born 1981, Aomori Prefecture, Japan) was the first Japanese professional gamer, and is listed in Guinness Book as “the most successful player in major tournaments of Street Fighter (Capcom, 1987) at national and international level.” He became World Champion in Street Fighter Alpha 3 in 1998, signed a sponsorship contract with Mad Catz in April 2010 and with Red Bull in May 2016. He is also a Twitch's Global Ambassador. A video of one of his matches, known as “EVO Moment #37,” went viral with more than 20 million views internationally and was listed on gaming site Kotaku.com as the “best moment in pro-gaming history.” Umehara’s competitive philosophy is also lauded in the non-gaming world in Japan.